Dinner for two
by Anotherhumanbeing
Summary: He closes the door behind him as he steps inside his office, a frustrated sigh escaping from his lips. He had truly believed she would come this time, that she would manage to keep her promise. But no, for Kate Beckett her job came always first.


_Something small I wrote yesterday. Reviews are always welcome._

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The case wasn't supposed to take so long to be solved. A man was found murdered in his own house, shot in the chest and left to bleed out on the cold floor of his kitchen. There were witnesses that saw another man, their suspect, running away from the house with a gun in his hand and they immediately called the police. Beckett and her team managed to gather enough evidence to put him behind bars. And Castle had invited her for dinner at his place for the third time and this time she had accepted but then Gates came out of her office when Castle left and asked her if she could stay for a couple of more hours to do the rest of the paperwork.

She couldn't say no, could she?

Maybe she should have.

It's one in the morning when she unlocks the door of his loft, leaves her shoes there and throws the keys on the table next to the door-frame, lets her coat fall from her shoulders to the floor. She blinks tiredly, eyelids closing and opening slowly at the figure leaning at the back of the couch in front of her, arms wrapped across its chest.

''Castle?'' she calls him softly, a small smile curving on her lips as she makes her way towards him. Something seems wrong though, he doesn't open his arms to welcome her as he did every day, he doesn't -

''You're late'' he sounds disappointed, a little angry even ''Again'' definitely angry with her. Well, he has every right to be. She had promised him she would come this time, she had given her word to him.

''Castle-'' he raises the palm of his hand, stops her ''I couldn't leave'' she tries to explain.

''There are some leftovers in the fridge. Goodnight, Beckett'' he cuts her off and shakes his head as he heads for their bedroom. He closes the door behind him as he steps inside his office, a frustrated sigh escaping from his lips. He had truly believed she would come this time, that she would manage to keep her promise. But no, for Kate Beckett her job came always first.

''Now what?'' she mutters to herself. She really did a great job of fucking this up in every way. She could just say no to Gates for once, tell her she has a home to go as well.

She looks at the kitchen, her stomach grumbles and complains, requesting for food but she can't eat right now. She needs to fix this. She opens the door of his office and sees him sitting at his chair, laptop on his thighs and fingers on the keyboard. His mind too caught up in writing to notice her.

''Castle'' she calls him again ''I'm sorry'' she offers.

He lifts his head, watches her silently for a moment before he speaks.

''Forget it'' he says and turns his attention back to the screen.

He's still mad at her, so she closes the door and goes to the kitchen once more. Writing is his way to clean his mind, put his thoughts in order and his problems away, going for a walk is hers. She glances at her watch, it's already two am but she doesn't care, she puts her shoes on, grabs her keys and leaves.

* * *

The cool air hits her in the face as she picks up her pace. With destination unknown her legs carry her following the route she knows better than anything else. Learned through the years. The cemetery. It's so ridiculous she almost laughs. She cuts a flower from outside of the cemetery and then walks through the gates, it's starting to rain lightly and she regrets that she didn't take her coat with her this time. Passing by many tombstones she finally arrives at the one she seeks and kneels down, lays the flower in front of the grave and touches the carved letters on the cold marble with her fingertips.

''Hey mom'' she whispers ''Brought you a flower. Your favorite, a red rose. I know it's late and I shouldn't be here but I needed to talk to you. I haven't done that for a while now, it's just that I'm so caught up in my new relationship with Castle. For the first time after years I'm happy again. So happy'' she goes on and on, talking to her about how he makes her laugh, how he jokes around all the time but knows when to be serious.

Somehow she ends up with her legs under her chin and her arms around them in front of the grave as she continues. The rain is still pouring upon her, soaks her to the bone and makes her shiver until a coat is draped over her shoulders and her head spins around quickly to see who is behind her. He has been there just looking at her for at least ten minutes, listens to her stories, her words. Her love for him and his heart is hopping around happily inside his ribcage.

''Hey there grumpy man. What are you doing here? I thought you were mad at me'' she accepts the hand he holds out for her and gets on her feet as he wraps an arm around her slim form and brings her closer to him.

''First of all I'm not a grumpy man, second, I wasn't mad at you and third I'm supposed to ask what are you doing here at three in the morning'' he buttons her coat as she raises an amused eyebrow at him.

''Could have fooled me'' she grins at him and kisses his jaw ''I'm sorry'' she tells him ''I wanted so badly to come home but Gates kept me at the precinct and I know I should have said no and leave and-'' he presses her lips on hers and stops her rambling, runs his tongue across her bottom lip and she moans into his mouth, legs buckling under her and he catches her.

''I was never mad at you. I was just disappointed okay?'' he bumps her nose with his and they both laugh.

''Okay'' she rests her forehead against the crook of his neck, inhales deeply his rich scent. He buries his face in her hair, places a hand on the back of her scalp and massages it gently. A sigh of contentment finds its way out of her mouth as she sinks into his chest.

''But you were a little mad, weren't ya?'' she says and pulls away from him, still keeping her arm around his waist.

''Maybe a little'' he admits and winks at her, smiles cheekily at her as rolls her eyes and drags him out of the cemetery.

''Where are we going?'' he asks her and gets in the car, with which he came here to find her. She grabs the keys from his pocket before he has the chance to protest and brings the engine to life.

''You still owe me dinner, kitten''

* * *

_Thoughts?_


End file.
